Document Type : original article
Authors
1 Department of Physical Education, Tabriz branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran
2 Department of Physical Education, Tabriz branch, Islamic Azad university, Tabriz, Iran
Abstract
Background: The main purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of brain gymnastics exercises and spark on gross motor skills of mentally retarded female students.
Methods: The present study is semi-experimental and applied research. 45 mentally retarded girls aged 8-12 years (with the mean age of 10±1.9 years) were included in the study and were divided into three groups of 15 subjects: brain gymnastics, spark and control. Bruininks-Oseretsky gross test was used as the pre- and posttest; it consists of four components: running speed and agility, static and dynamic balance, bilateral coordination, and strength. The brain gymnastics and Spark groups were practiced by the intervention groups for two months (3 sessions of 45 minutes in a week) under the supervision of the researcher and according to the special conditions of mentally retarded children. To compare the dependent variables, the analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was used.
Results: It was revealed that brain gymnastics and spark exercises had a positive and significant effect on the mean scores of gross motor skills (running speed and agility, static balance, dynamic balance, bilateral coordination, and strength) of the trainable mentally retarded girls. Nonetheless, spark exercises were more effective than brain gymnastics.
Conclusion: It seems that the greater effectiveness of the Spark movement program is due to the fact that it provides the participants with a better training opportunity, creating more appropriate time, facilities and equipment. Its content is mainly oriented towards the development of motor skills; it exposes children to a variety of training conditions, enjoys high levels of participatory learning and low levels of stress, and nicely motivates children for continuing the exercises
Keywords
- Zareian H, Amiri Hui F, Taraj S. The effect of educational games on short-term memory and dictation of Primary school students with specific learning disabilities. Journal of Exceptional Children. 2009; 9(4): 374-367.
- Golabchi M, Salehian M. The Effectiveness of Swimming Training on Reducing Coping Behaviors, Cognitive Problems, and Inattention of Elementary School Hyperactive Girls. Int J Pediatr 2021; 9 (11): 14896-14906.
- Ashrafi, L., Namazizadeh, M., & Davari, F. The effect of rhythmic exercises on perceptual-motor skills of children with visual impairment. Motor Behavior, 2014; 3(18): 117-130.
- Ghanbari N, Rafiei SH, Soltani R, Ghanbari Z, Yazdani F. The effect of occupational therapy interventions on cognitive-motor function and drawing skills of children with mental disabilities. Rehabilitation Medicine. 2014; 4 (1).
- Namdar Tajri S, Farrokhi A, Rostami R, Kordi MR, Moghaddas Tabrizi Y. The effect of physical training intervention on motor skills of 7 to 10-year-old boys with developmental coordination disorder. Sports Management and Motor Behavior. 2015; 11 (22): 68-59.
- Kowsari S. The effect of selected physical activity on the development of motor skills in children with attention deficit, hyperactivity disorder, Master Thesis, University of Tehran; 2010.
- Gheiji HR, Kordi H, Farokhi A, Bahram A. The effect of traditional and ordinary games on the development of manipulative skills of trainable mentally retarded boys. Lorestan University of Medical Sciences. 2013; 15(5).
- Faal Moghanloo H, Hosseini FS, Mikaeli F. Comparison of the effect of Spark motor program and basketball techniques on gross motor skills of trainable mentally retarded boys, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Urmia University; 2014.
- Beng S, Gwenn S. Relationship between perceptual-motor development and motor performance of nine years old boys, Master’s thesis, university of Colorado.2016.
- Heydari L, Qasemi Kahrizaki GA, Salehi H. The effect of a rhythmic movement program on the perceptual-motor abilities of trainable mentally retarded children. Master Thesis, University of Isfahan; 2010.
- Hashemi M, Salehian MH. Effect of selected games on the development of manipulative skills in 4-6 year-old preschool girls. Med Sport. 2015; 68: 49-55.
- Lokinda,. Brain Gym Teacher's Edition details the 26 Brain Gym activities used around the world by people of all ages and abilities to make learning easier. Third edition 2010.
- Hardman, M. L., Drew, C. J., Agen, M, W. Human exceptionality: school, community, and family, Tehran, First Edition, Danzheh Publication.2009; 10(32):43-58.
- Gallahue DL Understanding motor development at different stages of life. Tehran, first edition, Nafee No Publications; 2013.
- Diamond. A. Close interrelation of motor development and cognitive development and of the cerebellum and prefrontal cortex. Child Development. 2010; (71): 44-56.
- Akbari, H., Ziaee, V. The effect of different educational programs on the development of fundamental skills of preschool children in Tehran city. Research project approved by the Medical-Sports Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences.2009.
- Bruininks VL, Bruininks Rh. Motor proficiency of learning disabled and nondisable student. Percept motor skills.1997; (44): 1131-1137.
- Landerl K., Willburger E. Temporal processing, attention and learning disorders. Learning and Individual Differences.2010; 20(3):393-401.
- Brenner, J. The effect of physiotherapy in a group on the motor function of children with developmental coordination disorder. Thesis MA in physiotherapy, University of the Witwatersrand.2008.
- Rahmati Z., Aslankhani M. A., Farsi, A. The effect of a special motor program on the motor skills of visually impaired primary school students. Master Thesis, Shahid Beheshti University. 2010.
- Haywood K.M. Life Span Motor Development (in Mehdi Namazizadeh and Mohammad Ali Aslankhani trans.), Samat Publications, Tehran, sixth edition 2005.
- Engelsman BC, Wilson PH, Westenberg Y, Dysens J. Fine motor deficiencies in children with developMental. Coordination disorder and learning disabilities: an underlying open-loop control deficit. Human movement science. 2013; 22(4): 495-513.
- Grovand E, Aslankhani MA, Farsi A. The Effect of Selected and Spark motor Programs on Manipulative Skills of trainable Mentally Retarded Children, The Second National Conference on Sports Science, Mohaghegh Ardabili University; 2017.
- Salehian MH, Dehghan M. The Effect of Spark Exercise Program on Gross and Fine Motor Skills of 6-8 Year old Boys with Mental Retardation, Unpublished thesis. 2020.
- Zare R., Ayatizadeh Tafti F., Fallah Yakhodani H.R. Comparison of the effect of Spark exercise program with selected exercises on the development of basic mobility skills of preschool girls, Master Thesis in Motor Behavior, University of Tehran; 2007.
- Safarzaei Y, Rezaei M. The effect of Spark motor program on fundamental skill development of 6 to 8-year-old boys in Zahedan, the first national conference on new achievements in physical education and sports, Chabahar International University; 2015.
- Bushnel EW, Paul B. Motor development and the mind; the potential role of motor abilities as a determinant of aspects of perceptual development. Child development. 2013; 64: 1005-1021.
- Kakavand AR. Psychology and education of exceptional children. First edition. Ravan publications; 2006.
- Dana A., Christodoulides E. (2019). The Effects of a Period of Selected Physical Activity on Improving Manipulative and Locomotors Skills of Children with Neuropsychological Learning Disabilities, Journal of Rehabilitation Sciences and Research, 7, 25-30.
- Sabzi A.H, Dana, A, Salehian M.A., Shaygan Yekta H. (2021). The Effect of Water Treadmill Exercise on Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, International Journal of Pediatric, 9(6): 13671-13681.
- Wang JH. A study on gross motor skills of preschool children, Journal of Research Children Education, 2014; 49(3): 246-264.
)